Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-09-30
CHAPTER II.

He does not find Teddy such an inSigniti |
cant rival as he supposed" WIS Lesie's in
ward comment on his friends appearance as |
he stood one day in his favorite attitude
against the mantel piece staring down into
the fire. Anxiety, sleepessneSs, Jealousy had
laid heavy hands on Everad, and he bore the
marks of their treatment in his face, for since
that happy evening-long ago it seemed TO
George-his golden romance had changed to
a wearing sorrow, he knew not how. There
had arisen some cloud between them, which
at first he had been near to calling Cicely's
shyness, and had hoped to melt by the power
of his love, but now he had begun to call it
by another name and to regard it with very
different feeling. Heavens was it possible
that he should ever come to hate Teddy
Theakston! He could get near to her, it
seemed; he did not want opportunities; but
then some men can make love in a crowd
quite comfortably. One day George had
heard him assuring Cicely, who had been be-
nevoiently wishing for subject wherein to
exercise the skill required in ambulance
classes, that he was ready to he broken on
the wheel for her sekel He spoke in all
earnestness, but she had only laughed and
told him that he was too accommodating; he
Humpty Dumpty. But if | had said as
much, thought George bitterly, she would
not have laughed! Indeed, though it was one
Of his grievances that the days spent in sport
and the evenings in company afforded no OPP
portunity of speaking to her, yet he hung
night after night over the fire brooding upon
his trouble, his self reprOachful memory fur
nished him with enough things one would
rather have left unsaid" to have sat Punch up
in copy for "a year. rendering in this way,
with the flute like tones of Leslies voice and
the cracked flute like tones of Tkeakston's
sounding drowsily in his ears, his mind was
tossed like a shuttlecock between two battle
doreS.
He would go and give it up.
He would never go and leave the field to
Theakston.
That happily constituted individual, to
whom George, in common with every other
man of his acquaintance, was capital feT
low, a very good fellow indeed, would have
been greatly astonished could he have known
the feelings with which he was regarded
Everad at last found the very sight of him
so irritating that be left off going into the
smoking room at night with the others, and
took instead to wearing out the pattern of
the carpet between the door and window of
his bedroom
After long silence, during which Leslie
was making kind reflections on Cicely and
the sex in general George" he said, things
seem to be going pretty badly with you.
Hadn't yOu better get out of this?'
Everad nodded, still staring down into the
fire. Then, in hard, short sort of way:
II have not a chance. That other fellow
has it all his own way He Is out somewhere
with her now"
Leslie shrugged his shoulders.
"Who would have chance against the
billionairef'
.No it isn't that She would not care for
any mans money. 1t is his chatter she likes.
ThGugh how she can don't know-it seems
to me the poorest stuff But believe women,
so long as a fellow keeps talking, think him
charming, no matter what he says. And |
can't talk, unless I've got something to say.
Indeed, | can't talk then"
To which Leslie who thought that he
knew women, and that old Gullwelrs heir
might have his choice of all the girls in Eng
land although he were dumb, merely an
swered:
sect back to your work, George, Holidays
don't suit fellows like you"
You're right" cried George, with sudden
energy. "They dou'ti This dawdling is play
ing the devil with mel And I'm going back"
striding out of the room as be spoke
very little play about it, muttered Leslie.
Looks uncommonly like going to the devil
in earnest. / never saw fellow so altered in
my lifep
George went straight to the library, sought
for railway guide among the books on the
| table, and carrying it to the window, seated
| himself in the recess to catch the light of the
| winter sunset
But soon the dreamy habit which had pos
sessed him of late came over him, and his
| eyes wandered from the page to the prospect
| outside, the flower garden with its terrace
| walks sloping down to the waters edge,
| destitute now of flowers; the home fields be-
| yOnd, park like in their aspect, with groups
| of fine old trees on rising ground; the delicate
| tracery of their leafless Breaches showed out
against saffron sky; the red sunlight was
shining on their trunks, flushing the smooth
snow on the hill top, and touching with fire
| one distant curve of the river winding darltly
| between its white banks 1t was IA still,
| frosty afternoon He could remember just
such afternoons last winter when they had
been skating together, happy.
Happier than he had known then or than
he should ever be again
| And as he sat there his thoughts drifting
back to the time when he first knew her, he
always seemed to hear, as a running accom-
paniment to his pictures of the past, the tin
king of foolish little tune playing some
where far away:
| Oh, love for a week, a year, a month a day;
But alas for the love that loves Away
| it kept on singing. He had been listening to
| it for long time, as it seemed, when the door
| opened and some one entered the room. A
| fact he was too lstless to have noticed hut
that Miss Hare gave a little scream, after the
| manner of such women when they come upon
anybody unexpectedly, and let the things she
was carrying fall to the ground her writing
case and various sheets of paper. He was
obliged to rouse himself and pick them up
for her; then she passed on into the adjoining
room, now used as playroom for the chill,
| dren.
| But in returning to his seat Everad's eve
fell upon piece of paper which be had evi-
| IDENTIFY missed He took it up and was hook
| ing at it mechanically, when suddenly his
| face flushed, and he drew near to the window
| lint out WIN tdiiliob utpthl upon HIS eye
sight, though there was plenty of light i'll the
room to decipher the writing, in the square
legible hand affected by the young ladies of
| today:
| II understand that marriage is arranged
| and will shortly take place between Mr.. Ed
| ward Theakston their to the universally
| known Job GullwelD and the only daughter
| of the late Thomas Greville ESQ.,, of Greville's
Dyke, Yorkshire Mr. Theakston has made
himself deservedly popular in society, and the
wedding will, believe, create 10 small sensa-
tom
What might it meana
George stood for a moment COMPOUNDED.
asking himself if some trick of brain over
wrought had caused the thing he dreaded to
take shape in black and white beneath his
eyes. Then he strobe quickly to the adjoin-
ing room and threw open the door. Miss
Hare was standing at table searching among
her papers. She looked up anxiously as he
| entered
oh, my note-thank you but he
ignored her outstretched hand, laying the